She married Robert Browning secretly at 40

Their later marriage, which took place on September 12, 1846, at Marylebone Church, was a private affair. The majority of her family members finally approved of the union, but her father rejected her, refused to read her correspondence, and refused to meet with her. Elizabeth supported her husband and acknowledged that he had saved her life. She wrote to Mrs. Martin, saying: "He possesses traits like fortitude and integrity that I appreciate. I admired him for his bravery in trying situations, even though he felt them more deeply than I could. Because I am one of those weak women who adore powerful men, he has always had the biggest influence over my heart."

Their romance and those first few years of marriage inspired a flood of poetry. Elizabeth's husband ultimately received her small bundle of sonnets because he was unable to keep them to himself. I dared not keep the best sonnets composed in any language since Shakespeare's for myself, he declared. Finally published as "Sonnets from the Portuguese" in 1850. No contemporary English poet, with the exception of Rossetti, has expressed love with the same brilliance, grace, and sincerity as the two who provided the most beautiful illustration of it in their own lives, according to Kenyon. The Brownings lived in Italy for the next 15 years of their lives, until Elizabeth died in Robert's arms on June 29, 1861. It was while they were living there in Italy that they both wrote some of their most memorable poems.